Supreme Court case information

Listed below are the substantive Supreme Court cases for the year along with appeals still to be determined or cases awaiting hearing. 

Information giving an overview of the case is included along with media releases and links to judgments being appealed when available.

All 2024 - 2014 Supreme Court cases dismissed or deemed to be dismissed where a notice of abandonment was received can be found here.

Transcripts for cases heard before the Supreme Court are included provided they are not suppressed. Transcripts from pre-trial hearings are not published until the final disposition of trial. These are unedited transcripts and they are not a formal record of the Court’s proceedings. The Ministry of Justice does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any material and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use.

19 June 2026

Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 89 KB)
Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 126 KB) 

All years

Case name
ASB Bank Limited v Anthony Paul Simons, Andrew John Bevan and Mei Lim, Philip Charles Dunbar and Sheryn Valeri Dunbar, Bruno Robert Bickerdike and Emma Renae Punter and Glenn Jonathan Marvin and Anna Mary Cuthbert
Case number
SC 93/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
20 December 2024
Case name
T (SC 95/2024) v Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand
Case number
SC 95/2024
Summary

Civil appeal - Application for leave to bring civil appeal

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (T (SC 95/2024) v Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand [2024] NZCA 390).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
C Costs are reserved.
25 September 2024
_________________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B We make an prohibiting publication of the name, address, occupation and identifying particulars of the appellant.

16 September 2025

Date of hearing
13 March 2025
Judges
Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Case name
Rasier Operations BV, Uber Portier BV, Uber BV, Portier New Zealand Limited and Rauser New Zealand Limited v E Tū Incorporated and First Union Incorporated
Case number
SC 105/2024
Summary

Civil Appeal

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Rasier Operations BV v E Tū Inc [2024] NZCA 403).
B The approved question is whether the four Uber drivers are employees in terms of s 6 of the Employment Relations Act 2000.
19 December 2024
______________________________________________________

A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellants must pay the respondents one set of costs of $50,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
17 November 2025

Date of hearing
08 July 2025 - 09 July 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Miller JJ
Case name
Daniel Clinton Fitzgerald v Attorney-General
Case number
SC 107/2024
Summary

Civil Appeal

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Fitzgerald v Attorney-General of New Zealand [2024] NZCA 419).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
18 December 2024

Date of hearing
20 March 2025 - 21 March 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, O’Regan and Mallon JJ
Case name
Kyle James Craig v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 109/2024
Result
A The interlocutory applications and application for bail are dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
5 December 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Davina Valerie Reid v New Zealand Law Society
Case number
SC 118/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.                                                            
21 February 2025
Case name
Tony James Sofus Pascoe and Debbie Ann Pascoe v The Minister for Land Information
Case number
SC 123/2024
Summary

Civil Appeal 

Result

A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Pascoe v Minister for Land Information [2024] NZCA 557).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to find that negotiations prior to the compulsory acquisition of land for essential works, under s 18 of the Public Works Act 1981, may be undertaken by an accredited contractor rather than by the Respondent personally (or an official of Toitū Te Whenua | Land Information New Zealand with delegated authority by the Respondent).
C Counsel to assist the Court will be appointed by the Registrar.                          
19 May 2025

___________________________________________________________
A The application of counsel assisting the Court for leave to adduce further evidence is granted.
B The Court answers the question for which leave was granted in the following way: the negotiations function under s 18(1)(d) of the Public Works Act 1981 may be performed by an accredited contractor, rather than the Minister personally or the Minister’s delegate within Toitū Te Whenua | Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), provided the accredited contractor holds delegated authority to perform that function.
C The Court finds that LINZ officials delegated the negotiations function outside the Public Service in this case but did not follow the necessary statutory processes.  The appellants did not refuse to negotiate, for purposes of s 18(2), by refusing to deal with the accredited contractor.
D The appeal is allowed accordingly.  The proceeding is remitted to the High Court to determine what relief, if any, is appropriate.
E The respondent must pay the appellants one set of costs of $3,000 plus usual disbursements. 
18 December 2025

Date of hearing
14 October 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Kós and Miller JJ
Case name
DFT v Auckland High Court, Attorney-General and New Zealand Law Society
Case number
SC 18/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay to each of the second and third respondents costs of $1,250.
17 May 2023
__________________________________________________________________
A The application for recall (DFT v Auckland High Court [2023] NZSC 57) is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay to each of the second and third respondents costs of $500.
29 June 2023
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
B (SC 26/2023) v C (SC 26/2023)
Case number
SC 26/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application to adduce new evidence in this Court is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
15 May 2023
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Tanya Felicity Dunstan v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 29/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The application for recusal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
17 May 2023

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 17 May 2023 (Dunstan v New Zealand Police [2023] NZSC 58) is dismissed.
21 June 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed